AS Communal MK4&5 Mondeo Thread

[sierraman]

I’ve had a car with them on the back and they were ok, not the best but not the worst either. Maybe I just drive like Miss Daisy.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I thought westlake was a chinese beef soup?

 

I have never seen so many premium cars running on meloveyoulongtime death rings. It speaks volumes about the owner.

This

 

Quite a few fairly recent big money cars like X5s round here running ditchfinders.

 

Worst I seen was a newish 911 turbo with landsails. Death wish?

 

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[sierraman]

Probably because Bridgestones with the correct load rating are about £200 a pop.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Probably because Bridgestones with the correct load rating are about £200 a pop.

£50,000 car, £50 tyre. £200 a corner hurts but not as much as 300bhp+ through ditchfinders on a wet night I'd wager

 

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[NorfolkNWeigh]

I bought a 530d e61 off a guy the day after he fitted some Fancy Schmancy branded tyres at over £600 for the set( they were only 17"s too). As soon as they wore out it got whatever the cheapest ( non-run flats) my tyre man had got, don't know what make , but it's a fair bet they were Far Eastern.

The only difference I noticed was that the ride improved, no dead Nuns or kittens at all. Admittedly I did check the pressures a couple of times on a hot , fully laden thrash to St Tropez, I might not have been so diligent if I knew they were posh tyres.

In fact in millions of miles of driving and of being a skinflint , I've never come unstuck( see what I did there) from driving on shit,cheap, old, part worn or otherwise sub-standard tyres. There are many, many things out there that are more likely to get you than a cheap the.

As long as they're inflated properly , got a bit of tread for the wet, and most importantly you know their and your own limitations, it'll be fine.

[Cheggers]

Probably because Bridgestones with the correct load rating are about £200 a pop.

So a set of 4 is something like 1% of the car's value. Sounds like a bargain given it's the only part of the car that touches the road.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I bought a 530d e61 off a guy the day after he fitted some Fancy Schmancy branded tyres at over £600 for the set( they were only 17"s too). As soon as they wore out it got whatever the cheapest ( non-run flats) my tyre man had got, don't know what make , but it's a fair bet they were Far Eastern.

The only difference I noticed was that the ride improved, no dead Nuns or kittens at all. Admittedly I did check the pressures a couple of times on a hot , fully laden thrash to St Tropez, I might not have been so diligent if I knew they were posh tyres.

In fact in millions of miles of driving and of being a skinflint , I've never come unstuck( see what I did there) from driving on shit,cheap, old, part worn or otherwise sub-standard tyres. There are many, many things out there that are more likely to get you than a cheap the.

As long as they're inflated properly , got a bit of tread for the wet, and most importantly you know their and your own limitations, it'll be fine.

Luck of the draw though, an honest fitter will give you cheap tyres he knows are decent, but in my experience most will palm off something horrific that they get a good margin on.

 

We had an espace bought with brand new "sunny" tyres on the front. I got it cheap because the seller was convinced the front bushes were shot and I agreed with him. Tramlined everywhere, danced all over your lane, vague steering, loads of road noise, enough to convince me a bearing was on the way out.

 

Couldn't find a problem anywhere with the suspension, everything was in good order.

 

As a last resort swapped the rears onto the front to rule out tyres and it was transformed.

 

The rears were almost completely worn Firestones, so another budget brand but the car was transformed. Drove like new. Except for the rear end wanting to step out everywhere.

 

Tyre man told me it's the super hard compound on some budgets - last forever but don't grip.

 

I'm definitely not a tyre snob, I know there are brands out there with stupid names that are actually decent. But from first hand experience I've had some shockers. The new looking tyres on my Roomster are lethal in the wet, the same car on Toyos (which aren't exactly premium either) is a joy to pilot.

 

And for Bridgestone etc to have the marketing budget they have, their tyres must have a decent margin in them, so at manufacturing cost there probably isn't much magic between a mid range and a premium tyre.

 

 

 

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[sierraman]

So a set of 4 is something like 1% of the car's value. Sounds like a bargain given it's the only part of the car that touches the road.

You are missing the point, most people running about in 57 plate X5’s cannot afford £200 a tyre. Like others have said it’s a £50,000 car, it costs a lot to maintain.

[Faker]

Coming from the trade, and having been a fitter in a previous life... shit budget tyres are exactly that... shit. Don't get me started on remoulds!!

[Captain Furious]

Aren’t remoulds illegal now? (Other than commercial tyres that are designed to be regrooved)

 

Last time I was in getting 4 Bridgestone Potenza S1’s on my Mk3, everyone who came in while I was in the waiting room had the same conversation with the girl on the desk

 

“I’m after a tyre”

“Did you have any particular brand in mind”

“What’s the cheapest”

 

As someone who gets an OCD attack if all 4 aren’t matching brands this is totally alien to me. My dad drummed it into me right from the point I turned 17 and got my first car that you don’t skimp on tyres and brakes and you definitely don’t buy them second hand.

 

I guess that will fly in the face of many attitudes on this forum also, but you pays your money and takes your chances.

[sierraman]

It just depends what use you are putting them to, nothing wrong with a pair of budgets on an Astra etc, better than a pair of bald ones. Something with some power you probably want to fit some better ones.

 

Good luck with finding a sub £3000 car with premium tyres fitted. It’s nice to have a set of matching decent brand tyres but it’s not the be all and end all. I’ve never sold a car and had someone chip me on the basis of it having budgets on.

[Captain Furious]

Its an ST220, not the most powerful car ever but it can still break traction in the wet fairly easily.  I do about 14,000 miles a year pounding up and down the M6. 

 

When I bought it it had some new 'runway' budget things all round (dealer throwing them on to sell it) the fronts were destroyed in about 6,000 miles (and I don't drive particularly hard) and the rear sidewalls were cracking severely on the inside.  Replaced all 4 for Potenza RE050As and I get around 15K out of the fronts and twice that from a pair of rears.  This is another reason I think budgets are false economy but not the main one.

 

When I had the Granada Cossie I only used it occasionally in fine weather so I went a bit more middle of the road and put Falkens on it.  They were pretty decent so I was going to put them on the Mondeo next time all 4 were up for replacement, but as it turned out in 18in size they were only a couple of quid cheaper than the Bridgestones, so I stuck with them. 

 

The Falkens also chirped quite delightfully when pushing on round smooth roundabouts and such, for the inner child in you.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

It just depends what use you are putting them to, nothing wrong with a pair of budgets on an Astra etc, better than a pair of bald ones. Something with some power you probably want to fit some better ones.

 

Good luck with finding a sub £3000 car with premium tyres fitted. It’s nice to have a set of matching decent brand tyres but it’s not the be all and end all. I’ve never sold a car and had someone chip me on the basis of it having budgets on.

No issues at all, and I've done that to plenty of runabouts.

 

The trick is finding a budget that's actually any good - some are just turbo shit, some are acceptable. See my post re Sunnys. They may have been OK on a car half the weight of the espace.

 

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[sierraman]

I’ve got some Barums on the Mondeo, last well and grip well. £100 a pair fitted.

[junkyarddog]

Had a strange fault with mine today,

 

The wipers decided to stop working,but not entirely.

intermittent and 1st speed disappeared,but the mist function and 2nd speed were working fine.

of course it was raining,but on returning home they started working again!

 

Think I may have a faulty relay,will investigate another day.

Relays replaced,no difference,

 

Switch replaced with a known good used one,no difference.

 

They started to work again today,

Must be intermittent fault somewhere,but where?

Still scratching my head over this,

Even mates in the trade have never come on a problem like this one!

 

Will see if they are working tomorrow

[Faker]

Some better pics.

 

Really refreshing to actually buy a used car privately, that actually needs nothing fixed at all (other than shit tyres binned).

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Twin electric towbar, it's been a member of the caravan club

 

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[Faker]

Oh yes!!

[junkyarddog]

Thunder metallic is a great colour.

 

i know I'm biased,but the MK4 Mondy is a handsome car.

[Sir Snipes]

Luck of the draw though, an honest fitter will give you cheap tyres he knows are decent, but in my experience most will palm off something horrific that they get a good margin on.

 

We had an espace bought with brand new "sunny" tyres on the front. I got it cheap because the seller was convinced the front bushes were shot and I agreed with him. Tramlined everywhere, danced all over your lane, vague steering, loads of road noise, enough to convince me a bearing was on the way out.

 

Couldn't find a problem anywhere with the suspension, everything was in good order.

 

As a last resort swapped the rears onto the front to rule out tyres and it was transformed.

 

The rears were almost completely worn Firestones, so another budget brand but the car was transformed. Drove like new. Except for the rear end wanting to step out everywhere.

 

Tyre man told me it's the super hard compound on some budgets - last forever but don't grip.

 

I'm definitely not a tyre snob, I know there are brands out there with stupid names that are actually decent. But from first hand experience I've had some shockers. The new looking tyres on my Roomster are lethal in the wet, the same car on Toyos (which aren't exactly premium either) is a joy to pilot.

 

And for Bridgestone etc to have the marketing budget they have, their tyres must have a decent margin in them, so at manufacturing cost there probably isn't much magic between a mid range and a premium tyre.

 

 

 

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The fitter is unlikely to know either way as they're unlikely to have used those specific tyres themselves.

[Faker]

The fitter is unlikely to know either way as they're unlikely to have used those specific tyres themselves.

I disagree. When I was fitting, I'd good feedback from my regular customers. I knew what was what. The Chinese crap wasn't on the market back then... But eastern euro rubbish was (like barum in the 90's, which were proper shit back then, and were actually pulled from the racks by gov officials due to delamimation, and the likes of stomil- a tyre that used an old uniroyal tread pattern, that were made of harder stuff than tarmac itself, and simply didn't wear out!). I was more than capable of recommending a brand of tyre to a punter, regardless of management enforcement. In the 90's I loved hankook and Marshall tyres. I can tell you now, I still rate hankook. I've raced on them, I've rallied on them, and I've brought my kids to school on them. Korean.... and damned good. I have many years experience with rubber! !

 

Today I'm an expert in my field (I shit you not)! I can quote and reference how an inferior product such as an inferior tyre manufacturer, can compare the performance against rival manufacturers.

 

Remember this.... if nothing else. Wanli and triangle etc tyres are quite literally black, round, and have grouved faces, but they're as much use as a snooze button on

A smoke alarm!!!!

 

Cheap budget tyres keep the law of your back... and that's it. Proper tyres that cost a bit more enhance the performance of the vehicle and capability of the driver.

 

Nuff said

[Faker]

Oh.... quite recently I have encountered a tyre manufacturer... no name. That's right! No name! Taiwan made, size and speed rating etc were there, 19" and extra load, manufacture date and 'E' marked, but no manufacturer name.... now how does that happen?...

[sierraman]

I’ve fitted Barums and other budgets for years, there’s nothing wrong with them, I haven’t had situations like sudden loss of grip or them wearing out in no time.

[Captain Furious]

There seems to be some sort of countrywide push on these Divanti tyres currently. Obviously some kickbacks changing hands somewhere because it seems like every tyre fitter in the land wants to practically force them upon you.

 

I remember Stomil’s though, as you say, the hardest rubber known to man.

 

The spare in my Mk2 Granada is a Goodyear Grand Prix S. I remember them because I can still hear my dad lamenting that they were the worst tyres he’d ever had on his Mk5 Tina when I was about 8.

 

I can’t actually remember what it has on the road wheels, they’re all pretty much new from a previous owner and a recognised brand, however they’re absolute rubbish, it peels out hilariously in the wet with little or no effort. And it’s not exactly a fire breathing drag car.

[Faker]

I’ve fitted Barums and other budgets for years, there’s nothing wrong with them, I haven’t had situations like sudden loss of grip or them wearing out in no time.

Barum are actually quite a decent tyre now

[warren t claim]

 

The spare in my Mk2 Granada is a Goodyear Grand Prix S. I remember them because I can still hear my dad lamenting that they were the worst tyres he’d ever had on his Mk5 Tina when I was about 8.

 

 

[Dead_E23]

I had Triangles on the back of my mk4 for a while (fitted by the car lot I bought it from) and one of them is still fitted to a front wheel.    I clearly drive like a pensioner because apart from pothole damage killing one of them I've had no concerns with them at all.   

 

I've just Googled to see the price - they're about half what I paid for the Michelins on the back!

[warren t claim]

Costco is your friend when it comes to branded 16" Mondeo tyres as long as you don't mind the new rubber going on the back.

 

Ignore all their nitrogen filled tyres bollocks. as 78% of what comes out of a garage air hose is nitrogen.

[Dead_E23]

Costco was indeed my friend, but in my case for the stupid 18" rubber bands that a Titanium X takes. 

 

They're about the same price as online and I get to peruse blingy outsized household goods during the wait for them to be fitted.  As long as I don't come across anything like tools or LED headtorches for sale there's no risk of me spending any money... DANG!

[sierraman]

Probably the even the worst tyres today are better than the the best tyres from 20 years ago.